(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electrical devices comprising components mounted on a plurality of circuit boards, such as television signal receivers, and more particularly, to a technique for reducing the number of connections required between circuit boards in such devices by enabling signal control lines to be shared.
(2) Description of Related Art
Electrical devices such as television signal receivers often include one or more circuit boards. Each circuit board typically includes electrical components mounted thereon, such as integrated circuits (“ICs”) and other elements, which enable various device operations to be performed. Prior designs for television signal receivers often employed only a single circuit board. With these prior designs, a primary incentive was to maximize the use of board area. However, since only one circuit board was used, no issues regarding connections between different circuit boards existed.
Current designs for television signal receivers, on the other hand, may use multiple circuit boards. The use of multiple circuit boards, as compared to a single board, is particularly attractive since it enables the circuit design to be modularized. In particular, different board sections can be re-designed without having to reorganize the layout of all receiver circuits, as is often the case when using only a single circuit board. Moreover, the use of multiple circuit boards allows a single-sided board to be used for one group of circuits, and a multi-layer board for other circuits.
Despite its advantages, the use of multiple circuit boards may create difficulties with regard to the connections between different boards. In particular, it is desirable to minimize the number of connectors (e.g., pins) used to provide a connection between circuit boards. Minimizing the number of such connectors is particularly desirable since the cost of each connector is quantifiable in a monetary sense. This is particularly significant in certain industries, such as the consumer electronics industry, where product cost is a driving force among competitors and small cost per unit may be significant in view of the total number of units produced. Accordingly, there is a need for a technique that reduces the number of connections required between circuit boards in an apparatus, such as a television signal receiver. The present invention addresses these and other issues.